For hand-held communication devices, such as cellular telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), there is an ongoing need for approaches by which to accommodate additional inputs from a user of the device so as to allow the user to access and execute as many device functions as possible in a fast and convenient manner. Conventional input devices such as keypads and special-purpose switches (e.g., volume controls) are widely employed in existing devices, but the available surface space on the devices is usually quite-limited and typically discourages deployment of additional keypads or additional special-purpose switches.
In order to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of functions that are incorporated in modern hand-held communication devices, a common approach has been to provide the devices with a software-driven menu system. Typically, the devices include a limited number of special keys located on, or in the vicinity of, a keypad, which are manipulated by the user to navigate through the various menus and select the desired function(s). While a menu system is useful and efficient in many ways, it is plagued by the fact that it is generally not very user-friendly, and requires significant effort and time on the part of the user in order to navigate to, and select, a given function. The menu system approach is particularly inconvenient in the case of functions that are frequently accessed by a given user, in which case the user is tasked with having to repeatedly (i.e., for each time that a given function is desired) navigate through the menus and select the given function. Thus, a need exists for an approach by which a user may readily define a significant number of functions of the device that can be quickly accessed without requiring the user to navigate through the associated menus leading to that function.
Another trend in hand-held communication devices involves the proliferation of various software applications that are installed within the devices. Generally, different software applications have different sets of essential/preferred inputs by which the user interacts with the software application. This is especially true in the case of gaming applications (i.e., video games) where, for instance, one video game may require a relatively simple set of inputs (e.g., move forward, move back, move left, move right), while a different video game may require a more extensive set of inputs (e.g., move forward, move back, move left, move right, jump, run, fire pistol, toss grenade, etc.). Thus, a need exists for an approach by which hand-held communication devices may be adapted to accommodate the different input requirements of various software applications in a manner that is convenient to the user. A further need exists for an approach by which a hand-held device may be adapted to include an auxiliary input apparatus that may be customized to each of a number of software applications installed in the device.
One problem with wireless hand-held communication devices relates to limitations of antenna systems employed in such devices. These antennas typically do not function very well if covered by a lossy medium (e.g., a user's hand). In addition, devices may utilize multiple antennas such as to cover various bands or for different functions of the device or different systems, e.g., GPS, WIFI, and Bluetooth. Accordingly, antenna performance may be compromised depending on how the device is gripped and/or depending on a particular function the device is performing.
Thus, a need exists for an approach by which a hand-held communication device may be adapted to include an auxiliary input apparatus so as to satisfy the aforementioned needs in a convenient, cost-effective, and ergonomic manner. Such a device, and a corresponding method, would provide a user with added convenience and useful options as to preferences and customization options, and would therefore represent a considerable advance over the prior art.